Real Sacrifice
by MovieVillain
Summary: An alternate ending to season 3. Catra chooses to be the one who pulls out the sword, therefore redeeming herself.


Queen Angella has made her choice.

She will pull out the sword and let herself be trapped in another dimension forever. This is the act to redeem herself for having a strained relationship with her daughter, Glimmer. She thought back on the last time they spoke to each other before reality became a mess. Oh, they argued, and Glimmer called her a coward.

In the end, she's right. Now it's time to set things right.

"Wait!"

A familiar voice yelled to her and Adora. They faced the source, and that is Catra. The right side of her upper body has been corrupted by the black goo, and she knows it's a matter of time before it covers her entire body and loses control.

"I'll do it instead!" Catra declared while walking slowly towards their direction.

"What? But why? You know what's going to happen if you're the one who will pull out the sword?!" Adora demanded.

"Because... it's all my fault."

Adora couldn't believe her eyes, and neither could Angella. This is the first time Catra has admitted her own fault.

"You were right, Adora," the catgirl said with guilt on her face. "I do need to take responsibility for my own actions. All this time, I've been pining the blame on my own actions to everyone, including you. I was jealous of you for always being successful in what you do, and now I did worse with the entire world all because I wanted to beat you."

"Catra..." the blonde couldn't believe what she is hearing from her. It's no doubt the truth.

"That's why, for the first time in my life, I will do the right thing. I'll be the one to pull out the sword and banish myself to whatever reality I'll be trapped to."

"Are you sure about your decision, Catra?" the Queen asked.

"Yes, I'm sure of it, Your Majesty," the catgirl nodded with determination, making it clear to both women that her decision is final and there is no turning back.

"But where would I go from here on out without you?" Adora asked with sympathy on her voice towards her ex-best friend. No, forget about the 'ex-' part. The moment she admitted her own faults and willingness to do the right thing is when she has regained her friendship with her, if only briefly due to the sacrifice that she's going to perform on herself.

"I'm sure you'll find a way, Adora. After all, you're the optimistic one," Catra made a smile on her face that is not malicious but full of kindness. She turns to the Queen next. "Your Majesty, I heard what you told Adora. You should live to make things right with your daughter. Tell her you're sorry for having a strained relationship with her. It's not too late to set things right."

Angella nodded in fulfilling this request.

"When you see Scorpia and Entrapta, tell them I'm sorry," Catra turns to Adora for this request. The latter nodded to do just that.

Next, she pulls her for a hug, and she returns it. This will be the first and last time they hugged each other ever since Adora left the Horde.

"You were the best friend I ever had."

The two girls are bursting with tears afterwards, and the Queen herself couldn't help but cry as well. Sure she got to know Catra briefly, but what she's going to do gave her a moment of sympathy for her.

After they let go of the hug, Catra gives a quiet look to Angella, and she nodded.

It's time.

With the use of her wings, she carried her to where the sword is, and Catra pulled it out. Angella descends to the ground as the portal vanishes. Adora looked at her best friend with tears on her eyes, and Catra did the same thing before the portal closes to trap her into another reality forever.

This is goodbye.

At least Catra did the right thing for the first time.

"FOR THE HONOR OF GREYSKULL!" Adora yelled as soon as the sword is hers and raises it to the sky.

* * *

All of Etheria is back to the way it was. Adora had destroyed the portal, and with the help of Glimmer she got all of the Princess Alliance out of the Fright Zone and back to Bright Moon. The only thing that surprised is that Shadow Weaver is there to help them. They celebrated afterwards.

"We did it! Did we do it? We did it!" Bow cheered while carrying Glimmer.

"I'm probably gonna be grounded for the rest of my life, but reality is back to normal," the latter declared. "Speaking of which, I guess I should go find my mom. Maybe she'll be so happy to see that she'll forget about grounding me."

"You're right, Glimmer," Angella flies on their direction and she landed on the ground. "I'll overlook your little runaway for the sake of reality being restored."

"Mom..."

Just then, the Queen pulls her daughter into a tight hug, and Glimmer returns it.

"I'm sorry I said all that to you, you were right to go there and save Etheria," the former apologized. "You were right. I'm such a coward. I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry for calling you that before I left," Glimmer apologized.

"I promise to make things right. No more holding back, no more secrets."

Adora transforms back from her She-Ra form, and she saw how happy her friend is with her mother. Guess that means their relationship with each other will no longer be strained from here on out. Despite this, there is sadness on her face.

"Adora, what's wrong?" Glimmer asked once her attention is on her.

"Your mother was supposed to sacrifice herself, but someone else took her place instead," the blonde admitted with tears on her eyes.

"Who?" was the question she's asking, along with everyone else except for Angella who is quite sad on the news.

"Catra," Adora admitted.

Hearing the reply from her has earned gasps from everyone except for the Queen herself.

"So she did something right for the first time," Shadow Weaver realized, and she could see that's the truth in Adora's eyes. "The real sacrifice."

"If only you raised her right, then she wouldn't be in this mess!" Adora glared at her former mentor with anger on her eyes. Then she calmed down to take a look at the view of Bright Moon.

"What now?" Glimmer asked.

"We continue the fight. For Catra..."

Catra was right. Adora would think of how to live on without her. After all, she's the optimistic one.

* * *

**Author's Note: What do you think of this alternate ending to She-Ra season 3 finale? Anyway, I don't Catra is dead and I'm sure you think of the same. Just imagine which reality/world is she trapped into. Maybe Earth? Who knows?  
**


End file.
